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There’s a break from league play this Wednesday night as Orlando City SC take on fellow Floridian side Miami United FC in the fourth round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Travelling to The Magic City to take on the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) side, Jason Kreis‘ Lions will hope to fare better than they did at this stage last season.
Not to be confused with our 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup fourth round opponents Miami FC, Miami United FC were founded in late 2012 and compete in what is commonly recognised as the fourth tier of American soccer beneath USL and NASL.
Playing at Ted Hendricks Stadium in Hialeah and managed by Gerardo Reinoso, the Miami franchise will be hoping to claim an MLS scalp for the very first time having eliminated Jacksonville Armada (0-2) in the third round last month.
Prior to this, Miami United FC defeated FC Kendall and Miami FC 2 in the first and second rounds of the competition respectively.
As we all know, NASL side Miami FC embarrassed Orlando City SC in the fourth round of this competition last season, ironically going down 1-3 at home to a Stéfano Pinho hat-trick, a player now on the Lions’ roster of course.
Orlando City SC won’t have the pleasure of home comforts in the fourth round this year however with the Lions opting out of hosting the round themselves.
With Sporting Kansas City winning the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (pictured), there is no doubt that reaching the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs is Orlando City SC‘s main goal but a cup run would certainly help boost morale for Jason Kreis‘ side.
Head-to-head stats
This is the first time that Orlando City SC have ever faced Miami United FC and despite sharing the same state, both sides have avoided each other in pre-season competition too.
With little known about the NPSL franchise, Jason Kreis and his backroom staff will have had to watch tapes of Miami United FC’s games with Gerardo Reinoso’s side currently sitting top of the Sunshine Conference Division of the South Region Conference.
With Miami United FC going well in the league as well as the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, first-half goals from Tomas Granitto and Nicolás Gorobsov eliminated fellow NPSL side Jacksonville Armada in the third round.
Miami United FC’s Nicolás Gorobsov goal at Jacksonville Armada in the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – Highlights – May 24, 2018 (Credit: Magic City Soccer)
2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
While Orlando City SC are quite rightly prioritising 2018 MLS Cup qualification over the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, they will want to avoid an embarrassing humiliation like last year.
Losing 1-3 to NASL franchise Miami FC at Orlando City Stadium no less, current Lions forward Stéfano Pinho was untouchable on the night, scoring a hat-trick to shock the home crowd.
A performance that ultimately earned the Brazilian a winter transfer to The City Beautiful, Orlando City SC will have to be far more professional this time around.
Orlando City SC 1 Miami FC 3 – Highlights – June 14, 2017 (Credit: North American Soccer League)
It’s safe to say that since entering Major League Soccer, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has become far less of a priority for Orlando City SC.
Reaching the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2015, the Lions were ironically knocked out by Chicago Fire on both occasions.
Exiting in the round of the last 16 in 2016 and the fourth round in 2017, Orlando City SC have fielded weakened teams during the competition and that’ll prove the case again here.
That will mean a starting spot for Earl Edwards Jr. who has been waiting so patiently for more chances in Major League Soccer given the consistency and fitness of number one Joe Bendik.
When looking at the record books, recent history shows that Orlando City SC have exited the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup a round earlier in the last three consecutive seasons.
Perhaps this isn’t a coincidence when you assess the growing desperation to finally qualify for MLS Cup, something the Lions hope to achieve this season at the fourth attempt.
Eliminated at home to Miami FC last season, the now defunct Fort Lauderdale Strikers were another Florida side to get one over on Orlando City SC in our own back yard in 2016.
An extremely fiery game and one in which Kevin Molino saw red for his part in a second-half brawl, another current Lion – PC – scored the winning goal in the 120th minute of stoppage time to prevent penalties and embarrass the home side.
With Orlando City SC recruiting both PC and Stéfano Pinho following their exploits in dumping City out of the cup in recent years, you can only wonder which player on Miami United FC’s roster the Lions will chase in the winter!
Orlando City SC 1 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2 (A.E.T) – Highlights – June 29, 2016 (Credit: FTLStrikers)
Orlando City SC form
Currently in a poor run of form in Major League Soccer, the fourth round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will give Orlando City SC something different to concentrate on.
Winning TWO of our FIVE road games in MLS so far this season, both at Philadelphia Union and Colorado Rapids, Orlando City SC will be the strong favourites here.
However, as we’ve seen in this competition in the past, cup upsets can happen and with the Lions expected to field a weakened side, we can’t take anything for granted.